>> that is the moment it became official, the earthquakes hosted the largest soccer practice in the world. the previous record was set i australia just over 800 people and not that long ago. this practice beat that by quite a bit, 956 people showed up to the morgan hill outdoor sports complex last night. participants got a free t-shirt and soccer ball commemorating the occasion and they were part of history, until it's broken next time. that's really cool. >> i like breaking records. thanks for watching. "nightly news" is next. >> see you tonight at 6:00. breaking news tonight. panic in washington, d.c. a small plane in unauthorized air space and a sonic boom from jets speeding to stop it the military jets scrambled to intercept the unresponsive pilot flying over the nation's capital, moving so quickly it is believed they caused this boom that

rocked the city. the small plane then crashed in a rural part of virginia what we know at this hour china now defending an incident caught on tape one of its war ships barreling into the path of a u.s. destroyer, both sides warning the situation could escalate nbc news exclusive. the grand jury investigating president trump's handling of classified documents will meet again this week after a long break could that mean an indictment is near is there a serial killer on the loose? six women found dead in the last six months near portland, oregon. are the cases linked the faa has rules about how quickly a plane should be evacuated during an emergency but critics say those emergency evacuation plans are outdated >> what is at stake here is the safety of the flying public. and prince harry set to take the stand. the lawsuit that will make him the first royal in more than a century to testify in court. >> announcer: this

is "nbc nightly news" with kate snow good evening we begin tonight with the breaking news. frightening scenes in the air and on the ground in washington, d.c. this afternoon. military jets were scrambled after a small plane violated the air space over washington and the pilot was not responding to radio calls. on the ground residents across the city were shaken when they heard a massive boom overhead. take a listen to that boom as it interrupted these two musicians. ♪ that noise believed to be a sonic boom from the military jets racing to catch up to the small plane. aaron gilcrest has the late breaking details from washington. >> reporter: chaos over the nation's capital. >> i heard a really loud boom that shook the whole house. >> reporter: an extremely loud boom rattling residents. >> i was worried something happened to the kids first we all thought it was

an earthquake. >> reporter: emergency officials tweeting the boom was caused by an authorized dod flight. this flight caused a sonic boom a senior government official telling nbc news fighter jets scrambled after air traffic control lost radio contact with the pilot of a small business jet, a cessna citation around 2:00 this afternoon the aircraft took off from tennessee headed to long island, new york, but overshot its location and turned southwest when fighter jets caught up with the pilot he was already incapacitated. >> the pilot was slumped over. >> reporter: shortly after the plane goes down in a mountainous area outside charlottesville, virginia experts say sonic booms are not all that common do you have an understanding of what circumstances would have to come together for them to go supersonic to the point where people would hear it? >> if they were intercepting an aircraft that was doing 70 or 80% of the speed of sound and needed to intercept that aircraft quickly. >> aaron joins us from washington

aaron, what more are we learning tonight about the military's response >> kate, norad jus confirming it did scramble f-16 fighter jets and authorized supersonic speeds which caused the sonic boom we heard this afternoon. the f-16s also deployed flares in an effort to get the pilot's attention. kate >> aaron gilcrest, thank you. a near collision between u.s. and chinese navy ships in the taiwan strait sparked a war of words between the two countries. both sides now warning that such incidents could lead to serious escalation monica alba from the white house. >> reporter: tonight china defending its latest act of aggression at sea after one of its war ships nearly collided with an american navy destroyer in the taiwan strait. the u.s. military said the chinese ship executed maneuvers in an unsafe manner, and its actions violated the maritime rules of the road, while the chinese defense minister argued that recent joint u.s. and canadian patrols in the region served as a provocation and warned a fierce confrontation between the u.s. and

china would lead to unbearable pain for the whole world. in this video shot by a canadian outlet aboard a nearby vessel the chinese ship can be seen on the left speeding up, coming within 450 feet of the u.s.s. chunghun officials said forcing it to slow down to avoid collision. the defense secretary lloyd austin overnight called the close encounter extremely dangerous. >> i call upon the prc's leadership to really do the right things to rein in that kind of conduct, because i think accidents can happen that could cause things to spiral out of control >> reporter: this latest incident comes just days after a chinese fighter jet flew directly in front of the nose of a u.s. reconnaissance plane over the south china sea. tensions rising as the white house seeks to re-establish diplomatic channels after communication broke down following the chinese spy balloon incident in february >> absent

communication indication allows for a risk of miscalculation >> monica joins us from the white house monica, is there any effort to reopen communication between the u.s. and china >> there, kate the cia director bil burns made a secret trip to beijing last month to stress just how critical open lines of communications and intelligence channels are right now between the two countries. kate >> monica, thank you let's go to an nbc news exclusive now the grand jury looking into former president trump's handling of classified documents is set to meet again this week after a hiatus vaughn hillyard on what it all means. >> reporter: tonight former president donald trump at his golf club in bedminster, new jersey, as nbc news has learned that this week the federal grand jury hearing evidence in mr. trump's handling of classified documents will meet again in washington after a several-week hiatus >> did you ever show those classified documents to anyone?

>> not really. i would have the right to. >> reporter: last summer federal agents searched the former president's florida home and recovered in total more than 300 documents with classified markings. trump denies any wrongdoing trump was a no-show this weekend in iowa as a growing field of gop candidates kicked off their campaigns. >> i am going to keep coming. >> thank you so much, iowa. >> how is the great state of iowa? >> the road to 2024 comes through iowa. >> reporter: when was the last time you had the chance to talk with donald trump? >> i actually talked to him a couple of months ago i did extend an offer to come to the roast and ride >> reporter: this week three more republicans are expected to announce their own runs for the white house. former new jersey governor chris christie expected to enter the race on tuesday, north dakota governor doug burgum is slated to announce as well. but notably, mike pence is set to formally launch on wednesday. >> people can expect we'll be back in iowa on wednesday >> and a few more times after that >> entirely possible. >> reporter: pence this weekend taking a rare jab at trump's

recent congratulations to kim jung un's social media post. >> whether my former running mate or anyone else no one should be praising the dictator in north korea >> and vaughn is with me here on set let's go back to the grand jury meeting this week. is that an indication that maybe we could see indictments coming >> they could very well do that this week but we just don't know for one grand jury proceedings are secret and prosecutors have remained quiet about the process at this point, meaning they just could be bringing new witnesses before the grand jury this week, but they very well could move to indict any day from now. >> vaughn hillyard, thank you. to india now where investigators say a signal error might have caused the massive train crash that killed nearly 300 people friday evening. they are also not ruling out sabotage. today desperate families were searching for their loved ones jesse kirsch has more. >> reporter: tonight authorities in india revealing new details about what may have caused the horrific train derailment based on preliminary findings officials say it appears a signaling

issue led to the crash after a passenger train switched to the wrong track, slamming into a heavy freight train before derailed cars collided with another passenger train. >> it is probably some kind of off signaling. i won't even call it a failure of signaling interference >> reporter: that senior railway official was asked about possible sabotage >> nothing is ruled out. >> reporter: in a makeshift morgue this woman searched among the dead i just need my husband, she says. i don't want anything else officials revised the death toll down to at least 275 killed this woman says my daughter kept crying and died right in front of my eyes meanwhile, authorities said roughly 400 people remain hospitalized cordelia lynch with nbc's partner sky news, visited some of the wounded. >> reporter: room after room full of the injured. some on floors others in corridors. many with serious injuries and harrowing stories.

>> reporter: now authorities are repairing the tracks and safety is being questioned jesse kirsch, nbc news. a new study out today on a potential medical breakthrough for the tens of thousands of patients with brain cancer in this country lindsey reiser has the details. >> reporter: they are the three words no person ever wants to hear -- you have cancer rachel guberman had just turned 50 >> i went through about a week to two weeks of literally in my bed sobbing, just praying that my kids would be old enough for me to see them graduate >> reporter: she was diagnosed with the most common form of brain cancer which tends to be slow growing and incurable. >> almost without fail people see it as a death sentence. >> reporter: treatment of lower grade brain tumors usually involve surgery but they can come back and spread, making chemotherapy and radiation therapy the only options those treatments typically cause significant cognitive decline.

but now hope a new drug in a phase 3 clinical trial has proven effective at preventing the growth of lower grade brain tumors >> i would call this a game changer. >> reporter: dr. ingle melinhof says this i the first targeted therapy for this type of brain cancer and nearly half of the patients in the trial still haven't needed chemotherapy and radiation, years later. did you just want to scream this from the roof tops, like we may have something here? >> yes in their 30s, 40s, early 50s, at the height of their professional and personal lives. >> reporter: nearly 25,000 people are expected to be diagnosed with a malignant brain or spinal cord tumor in the u.s. this year with nearly 19,000 deaths projected the fda is currently working on approving the treatment for everyone rachel learned about the trial a year after surgery and started taking the drug this year >> there we go so happy to be there. >> reporter: it has given her relief and a chance at a normal life.

>> it doesn't take as much of my brain space anymore which to me is the definition of hope. >> reporter: lindsey reiser, nbc news, weehawken, new jersey. >> such encouraging news there prince harry is set to become the first royal to take the witness stand in more than a century this week in a lawsuit that accuses the publisher of british tabloids of phone hacking and other unlawful acts. meagan fitzgerald has a preview. >> reporter: tonight anticipation mounting as prince harry prepares to testify in court early this week, the first senior royal to do so for more than a hundred years. the prince is one of several celebrities suing mirror group newspapers accusing them of unlawful information gathering between 1991 and 2011 including phone hacking allegations. the prince's lawsuit is one of several cases harry and wife meghan have brought against the tabloid press who they say have repeatedly invaded their privacy. through his lawyer harry alleges that press intrusion presented very real security concerns,

caused huge distress and paranoia, put unnecessary stress and strain on his relationship with a former girlfriend. but royal experts warn a lot is on the line for harry. >> prince harry is used to being interviewed. he has lived his life in the public eye but being cross-examined is a completely different scenario for him there is a lot at stake there is his reputation and his credibility. >> reporter: the newspaper group has apologized and admitted its journalists obtained information illegally in the past but denied claims in the lawsuit that suggest the practices were widespread and that senior executives were aware. a fight playing out in the public eye but despite the risk, prince harry says he is focused on changing the media landscape. >> he is eyeballing the editors and the journalists who he blames for the breakdown of relationships, whoa he

blames for his mental health breakdowns, who he blames for hounding he and meghan out of britain. >> reporter: a big step in what prince harry hopes will establish an important precedent. meagan fitzgerald, nbc news, london still ahead tonight, growing fears of a possible serial killer in oregon what investigators are looking for after six women were found dead.

we're back with new fears of a possible serial killer in oregon after six women were found dead in the same region all in the last six months

marissa parra has the details. >> reporter: loss without answers leaves emotions on high. >> uneasy, horrified, heartbroken. >> reporter: ariel hamby's stepsister stepsister speaks was an oregon mother of three. >> she was an amazing sister, wonderful daughter, a great, fantastic mother. >> reporter: she was fofound dead f from a hohomicide in n april, becoming o one of six x differenent women inin the portrtland metroro area all under 40 discovered dead within 100 miles of each other just weeks apart, leaving the pacific northwhwest in fefear of a popossible seserial killeler. >> 5084 4 enroute toto southeheast road. . >> repeporter: it t starts wiwith 22-yearar-old kristin smith found february 19th in southeast portland april 8, speaks is found on an abandoned property dead from blblunt force e trauma to o her neck a and head. weeks lalater on aprpril 2424th two womomen's bodies f found on the e same dayay chcharity lynnnn perry andnd an unidentified woman

believed to have been native american who police say showed no signs of foul play april 30th, 31-year-old bridget webster discovered on a rural road just one week later 22-year-old ashley reel, last seen on surveillance at a restaurant, found dead in a heavily wooded area the various police departments and agencies investigating now working together to see if there is a link between cases what are they specifically looking for to see if they are all connected? >> one of the main things they'll be looking at is the manner of death and the weapon if that is consistent across all of these victims that would be a huge point. >> reporter: portland police tonight pushing against speculation of a serial killer saying, quote, i cannot say we're not looking into it, but we do not want the public to jump to any conclusions. for families left behind with questions, answers can't come soon enough. >> this isn't just about my sister anymore. even if it's not one person doing this. >> reporter: marissa parra, nbc news. when we come back, airlines are required to evacuate an entire

plane in just 90 seconds. whwhy has s some membersrs of congrgress soundiding an alalarm

summer travel is heating up and there are new concerns about just how airplanes are evacuated in an emergency. some members of congress say the requirement to get everyone off a plane in 90 seconds is unrealistic. tom costello has more. >> reporter: from a toronto passenger plane in 2018 to chicago, 2016, san francisco 2013, plane emergencies are chaotic and terrifying

>> there are people running around and there is gas on fifire > reporter: b but to get hundreds out alive, the faa relies on rules set in the 1960s. regardless of the size >> go, go, go, go! regardless of the size of plane, the fa requires that every passenger must be able to evacuate through the windows, doors, in just 90 seconds. with half the exits blocked. but look at the faa's most recent evacuation test in 2019 no fire, no smoke, no screaming babies, elderly, obese, or disabled passengers, no carry-on bags, no panic. >> it is not realistic at all. >> reporter: senator tammy duckworth a pilot disabled from war time injuries now pushing legislation to require real world evacuation standards >> what's at stake here is the safety of the flying public and the ability of first responders and cabin crews to do their jobs to keep us safe. >> reporter: while everyone survived the 2009 miracle on the hudson, hero captain

sully sullenberger says it took longer than 90 seconds. >> it took over three minutes to get the 155 people, full load of passengers and crew out of our aircraft successfully. >> reporter: though the faa says it reviewed nearly 300 real world evacuations with diverse passenger demographics and found safety to be very high but from congress to pilots to flight attendant unions -- >> you would be surprised how quickly that entire plane will go up in flames. >> repeporter: concecern that 90 seconds isn't long enough. tom costello, nbc news, washington when we come back, there is good news tonight. the moments these teachers celebrated one student who never stopped celebrating them

there is good news tonight about the art of writing thank you notes. if you think the younger generations don't appreciate the power of thank yous boyd huper from our affiliate kare in minneapolis has a story that just might change your mind >> reporter: teaching can at times be a thankless job. >> here we go. >> reporter: part of the reason -- >> dear mr. sanders. >> reporter: this note from a student meant so much to ira sanders. >> you never know what impact you have. >> reporter: the note put mr. sanders in good company. >> okay. dear ms. madsen. >> dear mr. powers. >> every teacher you meet -- >> dear mr. powers -- >> reporter: has been blessed by the flute player in the roseville high school band but why? >> i just like to thank them because they help me a lot >> reporter: once she started -- >> you are a kind, amazing, awesome teacher. >> reporter: she never

stopped. >> this one is kindergarten. >> reporter: mina, who first learned to speak hmung was working on english when she met school health assistant kathy case >> dear mrs. sharpe. >> reporter: fifth grade mina sent this note to her teacher laura sharpe >> so sweet. >> reporter: she is getting them still >> 12. >> reporter: all through high school mina kept adding to the list. >> for today i'm on 18. >> reporter: total 74 teachers and school staffers. >> dear ms. wolfe. >> reporter: sarah wolfe and so many others still receiving mina's notes >> once she was done here it was almost it became a mission for her to leave just a wake of positivity >> mina yang. >> reporter: before yesterday's high school graduation -- >> all right i'm going to go get her. >> reporter: there is something your teachers would also like you to know

for years, love sent now love returned. >> i take a note out every time i feel like i can't do it and you helped me do it. >> you are like the reason i kept going on and it's been a tough year, so i'm really glad that you guys are here with me, and i'm glad you guys helped me grow as a student and as a person. >> reporter: mina always with the right words. even when her teachers struggle to find theirs >> she is just a really sweet kid >> reporter: boyd hupert, nbc news, roseville, minnesota >> gratitude we talk about it all the time mina told her teachers that she hopes to be a teacher herself one day. go figure. that's "nbc nightly news" for this sunday night lester holt is back

with you tomorrow. i'm kate snow. for all of us at nbc news stay safe and have a great night [ chcheering ]

- you u ok? - - there's a a flex alertrt ty so i'm'm mentally y preparing r ththe power ououtage. oh, wellll we can hehelp stop e becacause we're e gonna reduducr enenergy use f from 4-9pm.m. - what nowow? - i ststepped on a a plug. oh that't's my bad..... unplugg. whwhen it comemes to preveveng outages, t the power i is our. right now at 6:00. was it another political stunt? california's top cop is calling out the governor of florida as migrants were abandoned? sacramento. and police asking for help trying to track down a shooter. plus, wearing orange to